Griffin iTalk Pro - Microphone
by Griffin Technology
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Griffin iTalk Pro - Microphone
Customer Review: iTalk Pro is just what it should be.
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research while considering a microphone for my 80GB ipod classic. The iTalk Pro seemed to have the best reviews (for a reasonably priced mic). I was not disappointed. I tested it in different environments and got good, clear, understandable speech recordings.
With the iPod Classic and 3rd gen Nano, you can not use the button on the iTalk to start recording... instead, a new menu appears on the ipod and you start the recording from there. In my opinion, this did not affect the use at all. I don't know how it shows up on other ipod models, but on mine it allows you to choose low or high quality and the ipod determines the gain settings which seemed fine. I did not notice much of a difference between low and high quality versions of similar recordings. With low quality you can expect to fit about 6 hours per GB; with high quality, less than 2 hours/GB. For any audiophiles out there, the recordings will transfer to iTunes in WAV format with a bit rate of 352 kbps.
I would recommend dimming your ipod screen to save power. I only got about 1 1/2 hours before the battery died (with 50% screen brightness). The screen stays on during recording showing the elapsed time. I wish there was an option to turn it off. I will try another long recording with the screen brightness set to 0% to see how much longer it lasts. In my experience the screens on electronic devices are the biggest drain on battery life.
I like the compact size and the fact that it is all one piece. There is also a small plastic cover to protect the dock connector when not in use. Some of the other mics I looked at seemed ungainly to me with their multiple pieces and larger sizes.
Some of the negative reviews I have read regarding this device, complain about the lack of quality recording... not enough bass, sounds tinny, music doesn't record well etc. What do you expect for 30 bucks!!?? It IS called the i"TALK" after all! It is designed for recording voice and does that exceptionally well.
Customer Review: EDITED review: actually possible to manually adjust recording volume on an iPod Classic!
Summary: 4 Stars
REVISED REVIEW (on September 1st 2010):
I've finally figured out how to MANUALLY adjust the recording volume using Griffin's iTalk Pro microphone on a last-generation iPod Classic (meaning: purchased at the end of 2008)!
Even if it's not perfect, there are two settings to manually chose from: 'low' and 'high' - and one of the two will almost always suit the circumstance you're in quite well considering the price of the iTalk - and the extreme portability of the iPod!
I mainly use the iTalk-iPod combo to record rehearsals with my band; I use the 'low' setting because any electrically amplified sound will distort with the setting on 'high'. With the setting on 'low', one has to deal with some background noise if the volume of the recorded source gets too low, but the sound still will be more than acceptable.
I gather the automated recording is intended for human voice (interview) recording - I myself haven't found a use for it.
I wish ROCKBOX <[...]>, the fabulous alternative firmware-maker (available for brands like ARCHOS, CREATIVE and former iPod models), would achieve to unlock the iPod Classic "mystery" (it has resisted their efforts until today)
I have been using their firmware for the (now archaic, then fabulous) Archos Jukebox 15Gb during over 6 years, and have blessed them for giving so much more control over sound and more on my device!
Final word: I warmly recommend the iTalk to anyone who needs better-than-decent recording capability for his iPod classic (I have no idea if it works with iPod touch or iPhone!?)
Customer Review: Useful - works pretty much as expected
Summary: 4 Stars
Just started using this today. Setup and operation couldn't be much simpler. As other have reported, using the built-in mics captures a lot of background noise, but the recording quality is adequate for voice memos, lectures, etc. Haven't tried recording live music. I only have a few gripes with the product. I found the "Automatic" recording level setting unusable, because when it auto-switches back and forth between High/Low recording levels, there is a really loud pop. My first voice recordings were unlistenable due to the number of these pops. But setting the recording level to either "High" or "Low" instead of "Automatic" solves this problem. It's also a bummer that it doesn't remember this setting, and defaults back to "Automatic" every time you plug it in to the iPod, which means going through several extra button clicks before starting a recording. Lastly, there is no shock-absorption with the built-in mics whatsoever, so any handling of the device causes major noise in the recording. Suggest placing it on a stable surface and not touching it when it's recording. Using an external mic would resolve this problem, but since it only has one mic input, you can't record in stereo that way. Bottom line is that this device is so cheap, it's certainly worth the price as a basic voice recorder, and is more convenient than having to carry around a completely separate device for this purpose.Customer Review: great product. wrong description.
Summary: 4 Stars
I previously owned the Griffin Technology 4020-TALK iTalk Voice Recorder with my older 4th generation iPod which was great, so I wanted to go with Griffin again specially since it said it was also a mini speaker, which my old one was and a very powerful mini speaker at that.
Unfortunately when I got my new italk I was going crazy trying to figure out why I couldn't play back my recordings. So I went to the Griffin website and this is what their website says:
(The iTalk Pro does not play back audio, it only records. To hear the playback, plug headphones into your iPod or listen to the recordings on your computer using iTunes.)
So although I am happy with the recording quality I was disappointed I didn't have my mini speaker. It was bad enough Apple made me have to buy a new microphone by changing the new ipods hardware and now thanks to the description I got a product I wasn't expecting.
I am sure I could just return the product but as far as I know no other recorder includes a mini speaker anyway.
Anyway I just wanted to let everyone know that if you were expecting this mic to be like the one for the 4th generation iPod it is not. However if all you care about is having a recorder it is a very good one and about $20 cheaper than at other websites including Griffin. ENJOY.
Customer Review: if you want to use it to record a band DO NOT BUY IT - it will drive you crazy.
Summary: 3 Stars
In a nutshell the iTalk Pro records sound well and works well with iTunes.
if you want to record speech it will probably do you just fine..
however if like me you wanted to record continuos music (band rehearsal, etc)
then it will drive you nuts and maybe you'll end up buying the Zoom H4 like i did.
the problem is that adding recording capabilities to the iPod was an afterthought and
so it's got some issues to iron out and they shouldn't release products like this until
these have been fixed.
i've had 2 iTalk Pros and it constantly skips making it useless for recording music.
i've had a lot of emails back and forth to Griffin to which they basically say it's not
their problem.
i've tried it on all settings and have reformatted my ipod to no avail..
if you want to use it to record a band DO NOT BUY IT - it will drive you crazy.
you've been warned.
simon G
and yes i know it says voice recorder but there is no reason why it shouldn't be able to record
anything 'for as long as your ipod has space and battery power' as it says in their blurb..